Mon Mar. 07 2011 8:17:16 PM | cp24.com
Air Canada adds fuel surcharge due to rising oil prices
Violent uprisings and tension in North Africa and the Middle East are now hitting air travellers in the pocketbook.
In response to rising fuel costs, Air Canada has added a $10 fuel surcharge on one-way economy class flights and a $15 charge for executive class tickets for flights to the U.S.
Air Canada says a fee will also be imposed for international flights, but the total charge will vary according to the destination.
The company says the fee is necessary to offset soaring crude oil prices. The increase in the price of crude oil has largely been blamed on the unrest in oil-producing countries such as Libya.
Many American airlines, including Southwest and Delta, have also tacked on fuel surcharges of up to $45.
An index that monitors air travel found that Air Canada ticket prices have jumped by 34 per cent since March 2010.
Rising oil prices have also caused the price of gas to soar at the pumps.
In Toronto, motorists are paying an average of $1.23 per litre of regular gasoline, about 21 cents more than what gas stations were charging year ago.
However, the price is expected to drop by 0.9 cents per litre Monday night to an average of 122.6 cents, according to Tomorrow's Gas Price Today, a website that monitors gas prices.
The cost of crude oil neared a 2.5-year high Monday, hovering around $150 per barrel.
